INDIANAPOLIS -- Division II has announced the 46 student-athletes who will each receive the 50th Anniversary Scholarship, worth over $1,000. The recipients were recognized during the opening ceremonies at the Division II Festival on Monday in Orlando, Florida.
Among those receiving the scholarships are two GLIAC student-athletes, Grand Valley State's Myles Rhodes and Purdue Northwest's Salma Raslan.
Myles Rhodes, a key member of the Grand Valley State track & field team, currently holds three school records, all set within the last two weeks of the regular track season. Rhodes finds himself in the Grand Valley State record book as the leader of the men’s 400m, as well as a major part of both relay squads (4x100 & 4x400). Additionally, Rhodes will be heading to the NCAA Division II National Championships this weekend as he qualified in all three events.
In the classroom, Rhodes majors in Health and Physical Education, maintaining a GPA of 3.5.
Raslan was a leader on and off the court for the women's tennis team this past season, being named a captain and becoming a member of the Purdue Northwest Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) as the social media manager. She was also named the 2024 Purdue Northwest Female Most-Improved Athlete of the Year after her stellar season. Raslan was recognized by the conference also as a GLIAC Female Tennis Player of the Week honoree.
Division II schools submitted 196 nominations for the commemorative scholarship. Conference offices reviewed their member schools’ nominations and selected up to four finalists for review by the Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee. The subcommittee reviewed all finalist submissions and determined the recipients, awarding one male student-athlete and one female student-athlete from each of the 23 Division II conferences.
“Congratulations to these deserving student-athletes who exhibit the core values of Division II,” said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. “It was important while celebrating the history of Division II that we also recognize and celebrate our student-athlete leaders in a meaningful way.”
Recipients have exemplified the division’s Life in the Balance philosophy through high-level athletics competition, academic achievement, campus involvement and community engagement.
